Apparatus for conditioning ingot mould molds and the like



May 3, 1966 BARNETT 3,249,348

APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING INGO'I MOULD MOLDS AND THE LIKE Original Filed June 18, 1962 3 ish fi 1 FIG 2 ap 12 IO g:

3 0%,M0amuay ATTORNEYS IN VEN TOR. CHARLES H. BARNETT C. H- BARNETT May 3, 1966 APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING INGO'I MOULD MOLDS AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet Z Original Filed June 18, 1962 -HHHQ FIG 3 FIG 5 INVENTOR. CHARLES H BARNETT OM/flw a 0 ATTORNEYS C. H. BARNETT May 3, 1966 APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING INGOT MOULD MOLDS AND THE LIKE Original June 18, 3 Sheets-sheet 5 I i H6 I I I I FIG 6 SCI] '22 C) C] GIZG C] D @29 DCDG CJCJG :JZTJC: I30

a SHIFT 6 12366 (3:32;? I3! C3 C3 CW 432 C3 C3 @130 3| rd SHIFT C) CD @122 mm C3 C3 D FIG 8 INVENTOR.

CHARLES H. BARNHT ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,249,348 APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING INGOT MOULD MOLDS AND THE LIKE Charles H. Barnett, Shaker Heights, Ohio, assignor to The Foundry Equipment Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application June 18, 1962, Ser. No. 203,226, now Patent No. 3,206,812, dated Sept. 21, 1965. Divided and this application Apr. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 447,217

4 Claims. (Cl. 263-40) This is a division of application, Serial No. 203,226,

filed June 18, 1962, entitled Method and Apparatus for Conditioning Ingot Mould Molds and the Like, now Patent N0. 3,206,812.

This invention relates generally, as indicated, to apparatus for conditioning ingot mould molds and the like and more particularly this invention pertains to a unique mold and core drying oven and the foundry application thereof. I

When green sand is formed into foundry molds for the formation of ingot moulds, it is necessary to subject such green sand molds to a baking and drying operation in order to set the binder in the sand and to dispel the dampness therein to provide mold surfaces capable of producing a satisfactory ingot mould casting. The size of the mold required to produce an ingot mould .presents considerable handling and assembling problems and extremely large ovens provided with tracks or cars for the .trundling of the assembled molds therein have had to be provided. The drying and baking of the sand molds must be thorough since a damp sand mold of the size under consideration may cause a steam blow. The molds should ordinarily be dried for a substantial period on the order of hours and at a temperature of at least In some instances, the molds may be placed upon a continuous conveyor to be passed through the drying oven, but the expense of operation and size of such apparatus, especially that required to support and transport the extremely massive molds under consideration, make the drying of such molds an expensive task requiring a large installation. Maintenance of cars and track systems in old style ovens is always a serious problem and a major expense. Moreover, cars and tracks sometimes become distorted by the extreme heat in the ovens so that the cars become difficult to move. This may, in turn, distort the mold anl also cause molds to fall overdamaging ovens and injuring workers. The amount of space required and the time consumed in placing the molds within the ovens and removing them for subsequent cooling and .vention to provide a novel apparatus for preparing ingot mould molds which will require less time and less space.

.lt is a further main object to provide a mold drying apparatus which can be employed to the-greatest advantage in the production of ingot mould molds.

It is a further object to provide such ingot mold drying apparatus which can readily and easily be employed in the drying of the largest molds which will uniformly and evenly dry such molds so as to produce superior mould castings.

It is yet another object to provide a mold drying oven wherein a portion of the oven may be moved about the foundry to cooperate with pits so that the ingot mould molds maybe dried therein and subsequently cooled and poured within such pits without being moved in the interim.

A still further object is the provision of a drying and heating unit for ingot mould molds which is adapted to heat and uniformly dry the entire surface of the check "ice and core of such ingot mould molds and in a short period of time since the cheek and core are put together and left together without being picked up and moved again thus cutting down handling time.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view of one form of oven in accordance with the present invention with such oven being partially. broken away in section and partially in elevation;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the oven of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 3 3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration showing the manner of application of the oven apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 through 3;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section of another slightly modified form of ingot mould mold drying oven in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is atop plan view of the oven of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an end elevation of the oven of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is an operating plan view showing the manner of application of the oven disclosed in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7.

Referring now to the annexed drawings and more particularly to FIG. '1, there is illustrated an oven enclosure 1 which is comprised of a cover 2 and a pit 3, with the cover being set or resting on top of the pit 3 to form the enclosure 1. The pit 3 may be formed of reinforced and insulated concrete side walls 4 and a bottom reinforced concrete wall or floor 5, both situated beneath the foundry floor line 6. A top support member 7 may be provided adjacent the pit end wall 4 and such end wall may be provided with a footing 8 supporting the oven structure. Similarly, a cover support wall 10 may be provided in the pit with a footing 11 positioned therebeneath. As seen in FIG. 4, side cover support walls 12 and 13 may also be employed within the pit 3.

Shown within the oven enclosure 1 in FIG. 1, there are two assembled molds which are in position to be dried and baked by the oven apparatus. Such assembled molds are set upon barrel drags 15 which support the core 16 extending upwardly centrally therefrom and such cores are generally the same size as the ingot to beproduced. The sand cores are generally rammed or molded about a steel arbor projecting upwardly from the drags 15. Mounted on spacers 17, four in number for each of the illustrated assembled molds, are the mold cheeks 18. When the spacers 17 are removed and the cheek is clamped to the drag, the sand mold will be ready for pouring to produce the ingot mould. However, in the assembled position shown, heated air may be blown through the opening 19 in the top of the assembled mold and out through the substantially annular opening 20 adjacent the bottoms of the mold. These assembled molds may then be placed directly in the pits within the foundry floor and the oven cover 2 may be positioned over the pit to form the oven enclosure 1 whereby the sand molds and cores may be baked and dried. The cover supporting end walls 7 and 10 are provided with a plurality of lines as shown at 22 and 23 respectively which have inwardly directed openings 24 and 25 respectively adjacent the bottoms of the pits and substantially aligned with the openings 20 in the assembled molds.

When the cover 2 is placed upon the pits, correspondflues 27 and 28 will be vertically aligned with the fiues 22 and 23. which will draw the heated air from the mold back into the combustion chamber of the cover for reheating and recirculation. The frame of the cover embodies an open bottom housing which fits down on top of the cover support walls of the pit. The frame is made up of a top and bottom rectangular frame shown at 30 and 31 which are vertically spaced by a series of vertically extending frame members 32 with the horizontally and vertically extending frame members being interconnected by guesse t plates or the like shown at 33. Tie rods or the like may, of course, 'be employed interconnecting the corners of the various rectangular frame sections provided in the overall frame further to rigidify the same. Insulating panels may be provided within the framework as shown at 35 and 36 to provide a rectangular open bottom insulated cover, the bottom edge of which terminates in a channel 38 which provides an air seal with the top of the cover supporting walls within the pit.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 2, it will be seen that a number of vertically extending angle members 40 serve further to rigidify the frame, with the vertically extending frame members 32 spaced from the corners of the frame being composed of such angle members. Two channel-shape cross-stringers 41 and 42 extend be tween the vertically extending angles 40 disposed at the sides of the frame and the vertically extending angles at the corner of the frame thus formed extend beyond the top of the frame and terminate in lifting eyes as shown at 43 and 44. Diagonally extending braces as shown at 45 and 46 may be employed further to support the lifting eyes spaced vertically above the frame. Extending between the transverse stringers 41. and 42, there is provided longitudinally extending stringers 48 and 49. which support the end edges of a combustion chamber 50, one side edge being supported by the stringer 41. The other side edge is supported by a stringer 51 extending between the stringers 48 and 49. A motor driven combustion air blower 52 is mounted on channel-shape stringers 53 and 54 adjacent the combustion chamber and such combustion air blower 52 supplies air to a burner as shown at 55 extending within the combustion chamber 50.= A pair of blowers 61 and 62 driven by motors 63 and 64 respectively through belt drives 65 and 66 supply heated air to longitudinally extending ducts 68 and 69 which are provided with a multiplicity of downwardly projecting nozzles as shown at 70. The heated air is then expelled from the combustion chamber through the blowers 61 and cheeks 18 and exits from the assembled molds through the openings 20. The heated air expelled through the openings 20 is then picked up in the flue openings 24 and 25 to be drawn upwardly through the flues 22 and 23 into the recirculating duct 71 which passes the heated air backinto the combustion chamber through the opening 72. The frame forming the combustion chamber is, of course, also provided with insulation panels as shown at 74 and 75 so that the entire top surface of the-oven cover is insulated.

It is noted that a ladder 78 may be provided at the side of the oven cover leading to the control cabinet 79 mounted on the side of the combustion chamber. It can now be seen that the embodiment illustratedin FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 provides a portable oven cover which can be placed upon specially constructed pits whereby the heated air from the cover can be forced through the assembled mold to dry and bake the sand surfaces thereof with such heated air being recirculated through fiues within the pit walls and back into the cover for reheating and recirculation through the oven.

.As seen in FIG. 4, it is possible to employ a single cover with an elongated pit whereby assembled molds or cores or cheeks separately may be baked and dried. In FIG. 4, the pit enclosure 80 may contain, for example, four assembled molds which are 8 x 6 feet. These assembled molds may be placed in the pit and the cover placed on top for the baking and drying operation. In the adjacent pit 81, there is shown six 5 foot 6 inch by six foot assembled molds which may be baked and dried during the next turn while the molds in the pit 80 are cooled. The cover can be removed readily with an overhead crane to be placed on the pit desired and it can be seen that the assembled molds within the pits need not be removed from the pits for the cooling and pouring operation. The flue in the pit wall 10 may be connected to a duct 82 extending beneath the aisle to a stack 83 which may in turn be connected to an appropriately permanently located exhaust fan and in this manner, when desired, both compartments may be exhausted.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, it will be seen that there is provided an oven comprised of a rectangular box-like enclosure 85 which includes insulated end walls 86 and 87 and similarly insulated side walls 88 and 89. A top insulated wall 90 is provided with three openings 91, 92 and 93 which communicate with an expansion chamber 94 mounted on the top wall 90. The opening 93 communicates heating fiues 95 with the outlet of a recirculating blower 96 and the openings 91 and 92 communicate the expansion chamber 94 with recirculating ducts 98 and 99. A combustion chamber 100 mountedwithin the expansion chamber supplies heat to heat the air which is expanded in the chamber94 which is then forced through the inlet 101 of the recirculating blower 96 to be forced into the flues 95 and then downwardly through the nozzles 102 in the flue 95, such nozzles being arranged in groups which are directed into the top openings of assembled molds 103, 104 and 105 within the oven enclosure 85, the illustrated embodiment showing three such assembled molds. Such molds may be the same as those shown in FIG. 1 and the heated air will pass downwardly directly impinging the surfaces of the sand cores and cheeks to flow outwardly through the annular openings 106, 107 and 108 adjacent the bottoms of the molds which are formed by the blocks which separate the jackets or cheeks from the core barrel drags. The heated air is then drawn by the recirculating blower 96 into openings 109 in a peripheral inside duct 110 extending about the entire inside periphery of the oven enclosure. Heated air is then drawn through the return or recirculating vertically extending ducts 98 and 99 which then pass the heated air back into the expansion chamber through the openings 91 and 92 to be reheated and recirculated. The peripheral duct 110 and the openings 109 therein are at approximately the same elevation as the discharge openings in the assembled molds such that the circulation of the heated airthrough the interiors of the assemb1edmolds is readily facilitated. Exhaust blower 111 may alternatively be mounted on the top of the oven to be driven by motor 112 .to exhaust the heated air from the oven when desired. The blower 93 may be driven by a motor 113 as seen in FIG. 6 in the same manner that the blowers in the FIG. 1 embodiment are driven.

With special reference to FIG. 7, it will be seen that the top of the oven enclosure may be provided with one or more frames 115 secured directly to the top wall of the oven enclosure, such frames including horizontally extending top frame members 116 and vertically extending legs 117 and 118. This framework may readily be employed to facilitate the fastening of a crane lifting d evice to the oven enclosure whereby the entire oven may be raised and transported about the foundry.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 8, it can be seen that the portable oven apparatusof the present invention will greatly facilitate the operation of the foundry in the of molds 125 and 126 may be poured as shown in the center at 127. While at the far right of the pouring platform 125, the groups of molds 128 and 129, previously poured, may be cooled.

During the second shift, the previously dried groups of molds 121 and 122 may be poured while the previously poured groups of molds 125 and 126 may be cooled.

The cooled groups of molds 128 and 129 may be replaced by further assembled molds as shown at 130 and 131 for the next drying operation. The same two oven enclosures employed to dry the groups of molds 121 and 122 may simply be shifted to the groups 130 and 131 for the second shift.

For the third shift, the previously poured groups of molds 121 and 122 may be left to cool as shown at the left during the third shift, while the cooled groups 125 and 126 may be removed and replaced by new assembled molds 132 and 133. The groups of molds 130 and 131 which were dried during the second shift may now be poured at the right as shown in the third shift while the newly assembled molds 132 and 133 are being dried. In this manner, the oven enclosures can be shifted from the various groups of molds during the succeeding shifts so that a continuous drying, pouring and cooling operation will proceed in an extremely limited space. In order to dry, pour and then cool the molds, they need not be moved from the positions indicated and, of course, no trundling of the molds on cars or conveyors is required. The only thing required to be moved is the oven enclosures which can readily be accomplished by the employment of an overhead crane fastening to the provided lifting devices on the respective enclosures. If the molds are of an extremely large size, they can be placed in prepared pits as shown in FIG. 1 with only the oven cover being transported and such assembled molds can be left in the pits for the pouring and cooling operation.

It can now be seen that there is provided a unique apparatus for preparing ingot mould molds which eliminates much of the heretofore required mold handling and trundling, thus producing such molds more rapidly and with greater safety.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. An oven unit for baking and drying assembled ingot mould molds and the like of the type having a top opening for receiving heated air and a generally annular bottom opening for discharge of such heated air comprising a frame member in the form of an open bottom oven enclosure adapted to fit over and enclose such assembled molds, air heater means mounted on said oven enclosure, a heated air distributing manifold having discharge nozzles adapted to direct heated air into the top openings of such assembled molds, recirculating duct means in the walls of said enclosure adapted to receive air discharged from such annular bottom openings of such assembled molds, blower means to force the air thus heated from said heater means through said discharge manifold and to draw such heated air through said recirculating duct means, and means to facilitate the attachment of an overhead crane or the like to said oven enclosure, said recirculating duct means comprising a horizontally extending duct which extends about the entire inner periphery of said enclosure and has inwardly directed openings adapted to be positioned substantially horizontally even with such annular openings in such assembled molds.

2. An oven unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means to facilitate the attachment of an overhead crane comprises laterally spaced bracket means extending above and vertically spaced from the top of said oven enclosure.

3. An oven unit for baking and drying assembled ingot mould molds and the like of the type having a top opening for receiving heated air and a generally annular bottom opening for discharge of such heated air comprising a frame member in the form of an open bottom oven enclosure adapted to fit over and enclose such assembled molds, air heater means mounted on said oven enclosure, a heated air distributing manifold having discharge nozzles adapted to direct heated air into the top openings of such assembled molds, recirculating duct means in the walls of said enclosure adapted to receive air discharged from such annular bottom openings of such assembled molds, blower means to force the air thus heated from said heater means through said discharge manifold and to draw such heated air through said recirculating duct means, and means to facilitate the attachment of an overhead crane or the like .to said oven enclosure; a pit adapted to receive such assembled molds, said pit and said enclosure being of substantially the same marginal dimensions whereby said enclosure can be placed on top of said pit thus to enclose such assembled molds, and recirculating duct means in the walls of said pit terminating in openings adjacent the bottom thereof adapted to be substantially horizontally aligned with such annular openings in such assembled molds.

4. An oven unit as set forth in claim 3 including means operative to provide direct communication between the recirculating duct means in the walls of said pit and enclosure when said enclosure is placed on top of said pit.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,653,392 9/1953 Von Hofen et a1. 34-225 X 2,699,931 1/1955 Buhler et al. 263-36 2,988,351 6/1961 Barnett et a1. 263-40 3,048,382 8/ 1962 Mansfield 26341 ALDEN D. STEWART, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM F. ODEA, Examiner.

D. A. TAMBURRO, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN OVEN UNIT FOR BAKING AND DRYING ASSEMBLED INGOT MOULD MOLDS AND THE LIKE OF THE TYPE HAVING A TOP OPENING FOR RECEIVING HEATED AIR AND A GENERALLY ANNULAR BOTTOM OPENING FOR DISCHARGE OF SUCH HEATED AIR COMPRISING A FRAME MEMBER IN THE FORM OF AN OPEN BOTTOM OVER ENCLOSURE ADAPTED TO FIT OVER AND ENCLOSE SUCH ASSEMBLED MOLDS, AIR HEATER MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID OVEN ENCLOSURE, A HEATED AIR DISTRIBUTING MANIFOLD HAVING DISCHARGE NOZZLES ADAPTED TO DIRECT HEATED AIR INTO THE TOP OPENINGS OF SUCH ASSEMBLED MOLDS, RECIRCULATING DUCT MEANS IN THE WALLS OF SAID ENCLOSURE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AIR DISCHARGED FROM SUCH ANNULAR BOTTOM OPENINGS OF SUCH ASSEMBLED MOLDS, BLOWER MEANS TO FORCE THE AIR THUS HEATED FROM SAID HEATER MEANS THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE MANIFOLD AND TO DRAW SUCH HEATED AIR THROUGH SAID RECIRCULATING DUCT MEANS, AND MEANS TO FACILITATE THE ATTACHMENT OF AN OVERHEAD CRANE OR THE LIKE TO SAID OVEN ENCLOSURE, SAID RECIRCULATING DUCT MEANS COMPRISING A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING DUCT WHICH EXTENDS ABOUT THE ENTIRE INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID ENCLOSURE AND HAS INWARDLY DIRECTED OPENINGS ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY EVEN WITH SUCH ANNULAR OPENINGS IN SUCH ASSEMBLED MOLDS. 